The non-slip soap bar construction of this invention was the subject matter of Document Disclosure Program Registration No. 156267 which was filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Sept. 19, 1986.
The prior art is replete with diverse specialized soap bar constructions as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,240,760; 4,613,446; 3,931,035; and, 3,196,112. In addition to the aforementioned constructions, most people are also aware of the well recognized "soap on a rope" construction, which would also fall into the category of acknowledged prior art.
While most of the above listed prior art constructions contain structural components whose inherent function would provide a non-slip characteristic to the finished soap bar; only the Presley reference U.S. Pat. No. 3,196,112 was specifically designed, and developed to provide non-slip features to the finished soap bar.
In this prior art reference, a friction gripping tread in the form of an elongated strand of material is threaded through a bar or cake of soap; wherein, a plurality of loops of the friction gripping tread are exposed and disposed on the periphery of the bar of soap. The exposed portions of the thread provide anchored friction surfaces to facilitate the users grasp of the slippery soap bar; and, the useful life of this particular construction will last until such time as the anchoring penetrations of the elongated strand of material continue to exist.
While this particular prior art reference is adequate for its intended purpose and function; it also incorporates some inherent deficiencies into its basic design. The most significant of the noted deficiencies being the fact that; it is virtually impossible for a bather to employ the soap bar in the usual fashion, without the non-slip treads making initial and continual contact with the bathers skin during the bathing process.
Obviously there has been a long felt need for a non-slip soap bar construction; wherein, the non-slip structural component may be readily grasped by the bathers hand, without the necessity of the non-slip structural component coming into contact with the other portions of the bathers body during the bathing process.